Rendeavour déploie sa stratégie solaire de 30 MW au Kenya
La première centrale solaire produit suffisamment d’électricité pour alimenter 8500 personnes par an.
NAIROBI, Kenya, 15 avril 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Rendeavour a installé sa première centrale électrique solaire au Kenya, dans le cadre d’une stratégie de 30 MW à Tatu City, le nouveau développement urbain de la société à Nairobi.
Cette installation est conforme à l’engagement à long terme de Rendeavour en faveur de la protection de l’environnement par l’exploitation des sources d’énergie renouvelables. La centrale électrique solaire, installée sur le toit du siège mondial de Dormans Coffee dans le parc industriel de Tatu, fournit 1 MW d’électricité. L’installation de l’ensemble de cette centrale, y compris 15 kilomètres de câbles, n’a demandé que six jours.
La stratégie de Tatu City est d’installer des panneaux solaires sur tous les toits du parc industriel, le plus grand en Afrique de l’Est, a déclaré Nick Langford, le directeur pays au Kenya de Rendeavour, propriétaire et promoteur de Tatu City.
« L’électricité solaire nous permet de contribuer à une énergie propre, qui est l’un des Objectifs de développement durable des Nations unies », a poursuivi M. Langford. « L’électricité produite à partir des panneaux solaires sera distribuée aux maisons et aux commerces de la ville. Nous sommes fiers de cette réalisation et heureux de savoir que les habitants bénéficieront d’une électricité durable à un coût très bas. »
Le parc industriel Tatu est destiné à des industries légères et non polluantes. Des sociétés leaders sur les plans international, régional et local positionnent leurs activités à Tatu City pour assurer leur croissance en Afrique de l’Est et au-delà. Parmi elles se trouvent Dormans Coffee, Kim-Fay, Unilever, Coopers K-Brands, Chandaria Industries, Freight Forwarder Kenya, Stecol et Tianlong. Épaulé par le Groupe CDC et la Société financière internationale, Africa Logistics Properties possède, sur le Parc industriel de Tatu, le plus grand entrepôt de niveau A au Kenya.
Les autres projets à Tatu City, une ville nouvelle de plus de 2000 hectares, sont des écoles de Nova Pioneer et Crawford International, ainsi que plus de 5000 maisons en construction.
À propos de Tatu City ( www.tatucity.com )
Tatu City est un projet à usage mixte de quelque 2024 hectares comprenant des maisons, des écoles, des bureaux, un quartier commercial, des cliniques médicales, des espaces verts, un complexe sportif et de détente et une zone industrielle qui pourront accueillir in fine plus de 150 000 résidents et quelques dizaines de milliers de visiteurs chaque jour.
Des écoles et des commerces sont déjà ouverts à Tatu City, et un ensemble de maisons sont en cours de construction pour satisfaire tous les revenus. Située dans le comté de Kiambu, Tatu City représente une nouvelle manière de vivre et de penser pour tous les Kenyans, créant un cadre de vie, de travail et de jeu unique libre des encombrements de la circulation et des trajets sur de longues distances.
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Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez contacter :
Contact avec les médias
Tim Beighton
tbeighton@rendeavour.com
+234-8087-099-2935
Belfrics Group launches a blockchain skill-drive initiative in association with DIT
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, April 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Belfrics Group, one of the largest international blockchain conglomerates of the world, in association with Dar Es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), one of the leading technology and engineering institutes in Tanzania and the East African region, today announced a joint initiative to develop a pool of talented and skilled technology professionals for blockchain as a domain. Belfrics Academy SDN BHD, the research, international training and skill development vertical of Belfrics Group of Companies, would lead the efforts to address the knowledge-gap and the rapidly growing requirements Blockchain Talents in the industry.
On this momentous association, Mr. Praveenkumar Vijayakumar, Founder and CEO — Belfrics Group of Companies said, “We all know that the Internet is filled with the so many online courses on Blockchain technology. But the sad reality is that, the quality of talent and knowledge that is out there, is not even close to what the industry needs. There is still a humungous knowledge-gap, and a huge void in terms of the quality and quantity of blockchain talent in the market. This is not only an Africa problem; this is a world problem! And we are happy to have associated with an esteemed institute like DIT which is synonymous with technology as an industry.”
DIT, being one of the leaders in the space of capacity building for the latest technologies in the industry, keenly believes blockchain to be the next big wave in the digital transformation of the world, and especially, Africa. Similarly, Belfrics Group of companies has been one of the leading conglomerates spearheading the blockchain movement across the globe. With its presence in Asia Africa Middle East and South America regions, Belfrics is one of the few global companies to have worked with government bodies, financial regulators, and conglomerates for a blockchain-ready infrastructure.
“We are pleased to see educational leaders like DIT come forward and being open to the need of the industry. I would say, that this is the right time, between being proactive or before being reactive to the industry demands. Employment and development is Key, and for that we must understand where the future is. DIT is doing just that. In fact, we’re pleasantly surprised to see the level of awareness and requests from other prestigious institutes from the East African Region for blockchain skill development. Since we are one of the major blockchain talent hirers ourselves, we are very much aware of the quality and quantity of the talent available currently. Such collaborations are required to address the current gap,”says E C Uday Senan, Global Strategist — Belfrics Academy.
“ Blockchain technology is among the emerging technologies that will soon revolutionize the internet and the ICT industry. Due to its inherent features, such as distributed system with no single point of failure, usage of cryptograph for data protection, and fast data transfer and sharing of digital assets, Blockchain has huge potential and a number of applications, particularly in developing countries. To leverage the potentials of this technology, it is critically important we create awareness of the technology as well as build the capacity of our students, staff and the general public. This is exact what DIT will do in collaboration with Belfrics. This will enable DIT to become the hub of blockchain technology, the hub where capacity building of our people as well as experimentation and eventually development of the blockchain systems for improving government service delivery will take place,” says Dr Joseph W. Matiko, the Director of ICT Centre at Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology.
“DIT is positioned to support the industrial economy by creating skilled workforce for the nation. Therefore, collaboration between DIT and Belfrics is important for capacity building of our students and staff and creating the digital skilled workforce in the country. We are really pleased to establish this collaboration because it is in line with our strategies of teaching factory concept and engagement of the industry in teaching and learning activities,” says Prof Preksedis M. Ndomba, Principal of the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology.
“We are excited to partner with Dar es salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) on the launch of Blockchain Trainings for Corporates, DIT Students and Staff Members and the Tanzania Community at large. Blockchain Technology ensures digital skills are accessible to Tanzanians particularly youth and supports with securing meaningful opportunities where they can apply their talents, ideas and expertise to advance the Country’s economic, Industrialization and social development,” said Aziz Chonya, Director, Belfrics Tanzania.
The collaboration between DIT and Belfrics comes in at a very crucial stage, with Africa being closely eyed as the next talent-hub by the world. With blockchain strongly anticipated to be the driver for the next stream of technological innovations, African countries “stand to benefit from this shift more than other nations because most of Africa has a Greenfield in banking, finance, health and other legacy infrastructure. Africa has a unique opportunity to leapfrog in many areas and develop new infrastructure and use cases to power the future” according to an article on medium.
Belfrics Academy, the international research and skill-development vertical of Belfrics, is dedicated to customized blockchain training for Universities, Colleges and training institutes, and capacity building for Government bodies, Regulators and Private Organizations. Belfrics Academy also mentors and nurtures Blockchain talents by setting up Innovation-hubs within the University campuses to drive and mentor more blockchain talent and ideas.
Belfrics is one among the very few companies who have developed and built their own blockchain, ‘Belrium’, which is now live and deployed, and which is being seriously considered as the technology carrier by many government bodies and conglomerates for solutions from identity data harmonization, to supply chain infrastructure, to smart governance infrastructure to healthcare infrastructure, around the globe.
DIT and Belfrics Academy, through this collaboration, aim at nurturing as much talent as possible in the academic year of 2019, as the demand is rapidly increasing, thus resulting in employment of young Africans in this technology space.
For more information about Dar Es Salaam Institute of Technology, please visit https://www.dit.ac.tz and http
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Politics Aside, Algeria Faces Huge Economic Challenge
PARIS The tens of thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets for an eighth straight week aren’t the only crisis roiling Algeria. Helping to drive the unrest in Africa’s largest nation�and posing a serious challenge to any future government� is the economy.
Two months of mass demonstrations continued Friday, as Algerians pushed for a broader overhaul of the country’s system, despite elections set for July 4 by newly appointed interim leader, Abdelkader Bensalah. The protests have been largely peaceful, although there were some clashes reported this time along with scores of arrests, and police used water cannons and teargas in the capital Algiers.
Bensalah, clear off, FLN clear off, protesters chanted, referring to Algeria’s ruling party.
But many are also calling for a fundamental reboot of the country’s ailing, energy dependent economy that has failed to diversify and deliver jobs to its majority-young population. The unrest, in turn, is adding to Algeria’s economic headaches, analysts say.
The economy is not in good shape, said Paris-based Algerian analyst Alexandre Kateb. The protests are the last straw, but the economic problems go deeper than that.
Critics have long accused a power elite surrounding former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika of mismanagement and corruption, arguing a large chunk of the wealth is pocketed by a privileged minority. But for years, Algeria’s oil- and gas-rich economy served as a salve for a restless nation, helping to bankroll housing and other social subsidies.
It may be one explanation, some say�along with the country’s devastating 1990s civil war�why the broader Arab Spring uprising of 2011 failed to take off in Algeria.
Falling oil prices
But plummeting oil prices several years later helped to thin wallets and sharpen grassroots anger. Today, more than one-quarter of people under 25 are unemployed, and many Algerians work in the country’s vast informal sector. Successive governments have failed to privatize and capitalize on promising sectors for development such as tourism and agro-industry.
Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund downgraded the country’s 2019 forecasted growth to 2.3 percent, from a previous 2.7 percent last October.
The main motivation is still political, analyst Kateb said of the protests. But if the economic situation was better, probably the momentum would be less important. We would not have seen the magnitude of the protests that we see now.
In the immediate future, Algeria’s economic woes may take a back seat. Besides the popular uprising at home, the current rulers must also keep an eye on regional hotspots, including neighboring Libya.
From an interim government perspective, it’s just about maintaining stability and avoiding any real crisis beyond where we are at the moment, said Adel Hamaizia, a North Africa expert for London-based think-tank Chatham House.
But whoever comes in really has to finally lead an ambitious economic program,” he added, “which helps Algeria realize its potential, develop an independent private sector, diversify, and attract investment on the correct terms.
Those challenges are daunting. The ruling National Liberation Front or FLN party, in power since independence, has had little incentive to change a status quo that benefited them, many analysts say. Algeria’s business climate has been a turn-off for foreign investors. A case in point: a rule stipulating 51 percent of company shares must be owned by in-country nationals or businesses.
Although energy production continued to chug on during Algeria’s so called black decade of violence in the 1990s, further growth stalled. When he came to power in 1999, Bouteflika was credited for ushering in peace. At the beginning, analyst Kateb said, the former president also tried to reform the economy.
I think he really wanted to give more freedom to entrepreneurs, he really tried to privatize the system, Kateb said, adding subsequent financial scandals and the global financial crisis ended hope for change.
Inertia and bureaucracy
Kateb, who later served as an economic advisor to ex-prime minister Abelmalek Sellal, said subsequent reform efforts also stalled.
If you don’t change the whole functioning of the system, he said, whatever you do at the margins will be completely absorbed by this inertia and black hole of government bureaucracy.
If July elections go through as planned, Algerians will be strongly pushing for economic deliverables.
I’m sure the many of the slogans are going to be centered around anti-corruption, inclusive growth, economic justice, diversification, and job creation, said Hamaizia of Chatham House.
For the moment, there appear few clear candidates to champion such causes. Both the country’s ruling FLN and traditional opposition parties are largely discredited in the eyes of many Algerians.
Earlier this week, however, the interior ministry announced licenses for 10 new political parties, Reuters news agency reported, citing Algeria’s Ennahar TV channel.
Analyst Kateb believes the country needs a technocratic government to steer through needed changes, at least over the next few years.
He believes there is no lack of talent to staff it, both in Algeria and abroad, where thousands of young professionals have flocked in recent decades for lack of opportunities at home.
Now they’re not really considered, Kateb said, and this has to change.
Source: Voice of America
160 African Migrants Repatriated From Conflict-Ridden Libya
GENEVA The International Organization for Migration has repatriated 160 African migrants who have been living under dire conditions in Libya amid the chaos reigning in the country.
The U.N. migration agency says it returned the stranded migrants to their home countries despite what it calls the extraordinarily difficult conditions on the ground. The situation in and around Tripoli has become increasingly violent and unstable since a renegade general began an offensive April 4 to capture the Libyan capital.
Even with thie turbulent backdrop, IOM organized a charter flight this week to Mali carrying 160 migrants. Most will remain in Mali, but 61 migrants from Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso will continue onward to their homes of origin.
IOM spokesman, Joel Millman, said his agency has had to work around the difficulties posed by increased airport security this week. Security has been tightened since the airport was hit by an airstrike. Millman said IOM’s chartered plane has had to adjust to the new limited hours of operation.
Amid the ongoing clashes, IOM staff in Libya coordinated very closely with Libyan authorities to ensure the safe arrival of all migrants coming from different detention centers and different urban areas in Tripoli to Mitiga airport. The airport was briefly affected by the armed conflict this week, but later resumed activity – as I said, only between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. every day, Millman said.
So far this year, the IOM has repatriated 3,175 migrants from detention centers and urban centers. Millman told VOA he does not know how the conflict will affect future returns.
Of course, any insecurity that arises from violence or weather or anything else will upset that well-oiled machine. But I guess, to reiterate what I said at the beginning, the fact that we did it now in this climate indicates we intend to do it whenever we can, he said.
Millman said the IOM helps the migrants reintegrate in their communities upon their return. Upon arrival, he said they receive immediate assistance and medical screenings. He noted that IOM tailors its reintegration support to the specific needs of returnees. He added that the aim is to help them earn a living and become economically self-sufficient within their communities of origin.
Source: Voice of America
New Virtual CPE Supports VNF Hypervisor Solutions for SD-WAN
The virtual SmartNode (vSN) family of Virtual CPE products simplifies, accelerates, and lowers costs for SIP-trunk, hosted-PBX, SDN, IP-Access and VPN service deployments
SmartNode VoIP… More than Just Talk!
GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND: Patton Electronics—a time-tested, brick-and-mortar manufacturer of IP network equipment—has officially released its virtual SmartNode (vSN) line of virtualized network function (VNF) software CPE products, the company announced today.
The SmartNode virtual CPE offering for hypervisor implementation streamlines SD-WAN service deployment by providing a set of cloud-native software CPE products for download and deployment with bare metal on-premise hardware—a.k.a. universal CPE (uCPE).
Unlike many competing virtual CPE products the Patton vSN puts no limit on the number of registered users or sessions. Call capacity is easily scaled up or down as needed using a floating license model that automatically distributes licenses from the Cloud to SDN hypervisors wherever they are located.
Patton’s announcement comes in the wake of an anticipated 45.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the virtual CPE market that could reach $16.4 billion in 2022, according to a recent IDC forecast.
Offering all the benefits and none of the performance limitations of a shrink-wrapped CPE device, the vSN can be remotely provisioned, configured, managed, and monitored as a virtual machine (VM) using the Patton Cloud.
Thanks to simplified operation, reduced CapEx and OpEx, and faster service delivery, virtual CPEs are key drivers of the growing network function virtualization (NFV) deployment trend, according to techtarget.
Currently offered SmartNode NFV use cases include:
- VPN server
- IPv6-to-IPv4 network gateway
- IP access router
- Enterprise session border controller (eSBC) for hosted PBX or SIP trunk applications
With a software download from the cloud, hypervisor virtual machines may be repurposed for any of Patton’s available VNF options as required by the network administration.
>>Patton will offer a webinar covering the vSN use cases. Attendees can join the webinar offered at the most convenient time for their location:
- EMEA >>REGISTER
TUE 05.07.2019 | 11:00 CEST - AMERICAS >>REGISTER
TUE 05.07.2019 | 11:00 EST - APAC >>REGISTER
WED 05.08.2019 | 12 NOON SGT
In related news, Patton recently announced its new cloud–managed VoIP ATA with optional Power-over-Ethernet.
Media Contact: Glendon Flowers | +1 301 975 1000 | press@patton.com